We love orzo with tomato sauce, and we took inspiration from this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020823-cheesy-baked-orzo-with-marinara?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&cgs=c
Our modifications: first, we added a lot of roasted vegetables. We cut 3/4 of a medium cauliflower (saving the remaining 1/4 for another recipe), 1 large red bell pepper, and 2 large shallots into bite-sized pieces, tossed them with 1.5 Tbsp canola oil, sprinkled with salt and black pepper, and then roasted on three foil-lined rimmed baking sheets for 20 mins at 425. We set those aside while preparing the rest of the recipe, and we reduced the oven temp to 375 for the next steps.
Second, we cooked the 8 oz of orzo for 6 mins, then drained and set aside. We concurrently heated a large saute pan (we used an All-Clad stainless steel pan) on medium heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil, then sauteed 2 cloves garlic (minced) and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper. We then folded in 5 oz baby spinach. (This was consistent with the NYT recipe.)
Third, we placed the roasted vegetables in a 13×9” casserole dish. We added the sauteed spinach, then the partially cooked orzo. For the sauce, we used 24 oz Rao’s marinara sauce, 8 oz no-salt tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. We added 1/2 cup julienned basil leaves to the sauce, then stirred the sauce into the orzo and vegetables.
Finally, we folded in 8 oz shredded mozzarella, and then sprinkled 1/3 cup grated parmesan on top. We covered the casserole dish with foil, then baked until the orzo was at dente (about 25 mins). (Mar. 2026)
Cooking Adventures 